Nuraphones get active noise cancelling via software update

I like the Nuraphones a lot. In fact, I named the sound-adapting headphones one of my favorite things of 2017. Clearly I’m not alone in that enthusiasm, either — the Melbourne-based startup scored $4.7 million to expand its market early last year.

Nura announced this week that it’s making its headphones even better, courtesy of a software update. The company is pushing out a bunch of tweaks to the headphones through an upgrade initiative it’s deemed “G2.” Chief among them is active noise cancellation — something that was conspicuously absent from the products upon release.

Until now, the company has relied on the passive version — using the unique combination of over-ear cups and in-ear buds to muffle out ambient noise. The update, however, will bring the ability to filter out low-frequency sounds like airplane engine rumble, without adding a high-frequency hiss into the mix.

Also new is the addition of Social Mode, which does the opposite, using the four on-board microphones to let sound in, so users can hear their co-workers or carry on a conversation with the headphones on. They’ll also be used to improve the sound of voice calls, filtering out noisy environments during conversations.

Now’s as good a time as any to pick up a new pair, by the way. The company is offering Nuraphones for $260 for Amazon’s Prime Day — that’s a 25 percent discount off their normal price.